Golf is a game which requires exacting techniques to achieve a proper swing. A great deal of attention is paid by golfers to the movement of particular parts of the body in performing a golf swing. A departure from ideal body movements may be done so unknowingly, resulting in a deviation from the proper swing which impairs their game. Often, improper body movement occurs in connection with the motion of the wrists.
In golf, as the golf club is drawn backwards the left wrist, of a right handed golfer, is flexed laterally and slightly forwards with respect to the forearm, "forward" meaning the direction in which the fingers would move in clinching a fist. This motion is often referred to as the cocking of the wrists. As the club is next swung forwards the wrist is snapped laterally and backwardly to a backward flexing of the wrist. It is this snapping of the wrist which causes many golfers a great deal of problem. For instance, an overextension or overflexing of the wrist at the moment of impact between the golf club and the golf ball may impart an unwanted side spin on the golf ball, causing it to deviate from a straight path of flight. The same also holds true for an underflexing of the wrist, except that the imparted side spin is in the opposite direction.
Hence, devices have long been devised in attempts to control or restrict the movement of the wrist as a golfer swings a club. An example of such as device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,469,315 which shows a brace designed to extend along the back of a golfer's wrist and an optional brace designed to extend along the front of a golfer's wrist. This type of brace however hampers lateral movement of the wrist and may cause discomfort as the brace rubs against the hand.
Devices for other types of athletic endeavors have also been designed to control the movement of the wrists. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,342 discloses a wrist control device for both bowlers and golfers which has a hand member mounted to the back of a hand and an arm member mounted to the top of the arm. The hand member and arm member are connected to each other via pivotal means. However, this device allows for only lateral movement of the hand, thereby making it difficult to flex the wrist properly. A variation of the type of the device just described is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,305. This device has two pivots which allow movement of portions of the device about two axes aligned generally perpendicular to each other. The dual movement this type of device imparts may be quit mechanical and unnatural in feeling to a golfer. Thus, the golfer or bowler may be distracted by this sensation and thereby be unable to concentrate fully on other aspects of his or her swing.
It thus is seen that a need remains for an aid for controlling the movement of a golfer's wrist through a swing in a more natural and effective manner. It is to the provision of such that the present invention is primarily directed.